Authority and responsibility (Elements in organizational design),”Traditional view:the chain of command is the line of authority extending from upper organizational levels to lower levels, clarifying who reports to whom. Authority refers to the rights inherent in a managerial position to give orders and expect the order to be obeyed. Responsibility is when employees are given rights, they also assume a corresponding obligation to perform.Today’s view: today, the early conditions do not exist anymore, and authority is perceived as only one element in the large concept of power. How do authority and power differ: authority is a right, power refers to an individual’s capacity to influence decisions. It is a three dimensional concept, including not only functional and hierarchical dimensions, but also centrality. Centrality is the distance from the power core. It suggests that the higher you move in the organization, the closer to the power core. And, it is not necessary to have authority in order to wield power. Power come from five sources: coercive, reward, legitimate
expert and referent.”